New NFL Kickoff Rules Could Leave Fans Praying For Touchbacks

The theater that is professional football in these United States appears to have made a rule change that will change the way the game's most exciting play unfolds. For me, that play is the kickoff. It's the only play in which 21 really fast, strong, and athletically inclined athletes and a kicker can change the course of the game in under ten seconds.

Under the new rule officials will not only be tasked with observing when and where blocks were made but where the player that made the block was lined up prior to the actual kick of the ball.

How hard could that be? In my opinion extremely hard. The officials have a tough enough time keeping up with the speed of the game in front of them, now we want them to remember where every player lined up before the ball was kicked?

At least one former NFL referee has chimed in on the rule change calling it the biggest rule change he has seen in 20 plus years of working in and around the league. I guess we will find out when the NFL preseason begins three weeks from today on August 2nd.

Personally, I think it's just one more way the league can use the rules to control the outcome of a game and not just the play of the game.

Let's face it NFL football is entertainment. The league makes money when popular teams win and compete against each other. So the NFL has a vested interest in making sure the Cleveland Browns don't knock the New England Patriots out of the playoffs on a fluke kickoff return. What? is that a flag on the play. Hell yeah.